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eSpecies
An auction for the benefit of science | |
There's never enough money for science (unless it relates to weapons research). Auctioning off the names of new species might provide a new source of funding. Right now whenever a new species is found, and we're finding them all the time, it's often given a name referring in some way to the person
who found it. These discoverers might be just as satisfied with 10 percent of whatever an auction could bring in, especially if they've already had some bug named after them. The other 90 percent could then go towards funding more explorations. As to whether or not there would be willing buyers, the fact that people pay to have stars named after themselves and friends when those names don't hold any official weight proves there's a market out there. The market would be even bigger for something like this, especially when the names would be official and stuck in every catalog of species from now until the end of man.
never say never, spacemoggy.
http://www.bigcats..../kellascataron.html
feral + scottish wildcat = new kind of moggy and look at that expression... [po, Dec 13 2004]
and a mouse...
http://nationalzoo....s/News/newmouse.cfm
[po, Dec 13 2004]
Flores Man
http://news.bbc.co....agazine/3964579.stm
and wouldn't it be exciting if one of these strolled up to us on a beach somewhere. [po, Dec 13 2004]
a new monkey
http://news.bbc.co....ci/tech/4101001.stm
[po, Dec 16 2004]
Baked sooner than I expected
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6939793/
Update [longshot9999, Feb 10 2005]
[link]
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Please don't let the Phundugs go extinct. Contribute the World Wildlife Federation today! |
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Oh, look, it's a cute little PepsiCo™ Brand Beetlelicious Beetle. |
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Those transparent cave fish could be re-named "Crystali pepsicolensis." |
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World - Once you've seen a PepsiCo Beetle I'll bet you'll never forget what it looks like. |
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Of course, the auction could always be limited to the names of real people if company names were considered offensive. Company names would make it easier for students to remember what was what though. For instance, who'd have a hard time remembering what the Enron Eel looked like? |
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I'm already trying to imagine what those Phundugs look like. |
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Araneus Marsbaricus? Vanellus Ciscosystemicus? That's what would get the big money. It would still be worth it though - anything to fund science is ok by me. |
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I like this very much but presented as it is, is in danger of becoming a list. +1 |
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You just know that there would be a Trump somethingorother. |
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I like this. I would pay all I have to name some newly discovered species of wild-cat the Spacemoggy. |
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Sadly [spacemoggy], almost all new species discovered are small, icky and have many legs. |
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You got that damn idea template out again didn't ya [longshot]:
Take worthy item/service in public domain, compromise with application of private money, justify with benefits to worthy thing.
Still waiting with my [+] till you bust out of the formula. Actually, that's unfair since you have come up with a lot of ideas, I just can't bun this kind that's all. |
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DocBrown - What can I say? One of the things I like to do is find creative ways to turn things that benefit the public into self-sustaining activities, increasing the odds that they'll continue. |
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By the way, that was a very succinct descrption of the formula. I like it. Although I'm sure it wasn't your intent, keeping that pattern in mind will help me generate new ideas along the same lines. I'll try to keep the more radical ones out of the halfbakery though. |
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[Wagster] - that could work as well. If anyone auctions off the labelling of a poisonous blood-sucking parasite, I know one or two names I would pay good money to have forever linked with it. |
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ignore my links then, what do I care? |
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Sorry [po], totally didn't notice there were links. That first one's a fine figure of a bad-tempered cat, and would be well-suited to being called a Spacemoggy. Not so sure I'd want a bright orange mouse named after me though... |
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Hell, keep them all in [longshot]. Just cos I don't go for them doesn't mean others won't (as evidenced by current vote count). You never know, maybe one of them will snag me. You're paying me royalties for that formula though :) |
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Just became baked. See link. |
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